Wednesday, May 25th 2005

We were scheduled to fly home at 6:45 AM this morning but that did not occur. Before falling asleep the night before Tanner said “Mommy, I not doing too good.” I wondered what in the world that meant. A few hours later I found out when he woke up tossing everything he had eaten. Poor poor baby. He had been moaning in his sleep for a couple hours so I had not been able to sleep…I laid there waiting for the inevitable. He continued to throw up during the night and I finally had to lay couch cushions down on the bathroom floor and cover them with towels and I just sat holding him in there. It is a horrible thing when a child is that miserably sick.

It is also absolutely horrifying to be sharing a room with someone whose kid is that sick! I felt SOOOOOOO bad for Courtney and Carter. Courtney couldn’t sleep through this (obviously) nor could she use the restroom that we had effectively hijacked. I had to call Marlene (Snowflake mama number ONE:) in the middle of the night and ask her to extend her compassionate heart to Courtney and Carter (which of course she did:). I had tried to get another hotel room for Tanner and I but they were booked solid so moving Courtney and Carter out was the only choice left.

Jim and I then conferenced called with Cigna, the ER, the airline, and the Travel Insurance Co. trying to figure out how to change our flights and get Tanner medical attention. It was apparent we would NOT be getting on that early morning plane. The Travel Ins Co. made things all the more difficult when they told me that while we did in fact purchase insurance, we would only get a refund for the ticket change price IF we had a note from a Dr. stating Tanner couldn’t get on the airplane. I explained to the rep that for me to get this note would require me taking my sick child out in the cold, getting into a cab, finding a hospital in an unfamiliar area, only to discover what I already knew…he had the stomach flu. Essentially they said “tough luck lady”. As it turned out, Tanner ended up so sick that I figured that was in his best interest anyhow. I recalled all the times over the last few days that he had fallen asleep in strange places and the frequent requests for water (many of which went unanswered). I felt so guilty that I was crying in the ER telling the Dr. that I was responsible for dehydrating my child. The ER Dr. was very compassionate and told me that the flu had dehydrated him and that I shouldn’t be beating myself up. They were also kind enough to bring me a tuna sandwich, apple, and juice as I had not slept in nearly 24 hours and I was starting to feel icky too. Good thing too…I needed this apple for Tanner as I had no food that would qualify on the BRAT (Bananas, Rice, Apples, Toast) diet for him.

Tanner was in fact dehydrated and was given an IV. We then had to call a cab to take us back to our hotel at about 5:00 AM. What a mess! When we got to the hotel lobby Tanner again threw up all over the lobby! The hotel manager brought shoe bags up to my room so that he would have emergency bags to vomit in. Fun fun fun.

All day Wed Tanner slept. He only got off the couch twice. Once to go the bathroom and he followed me into the kitchen at one point during the afternoon. The rest of the time he was asleep or barely awake. He would moan and tremble in his sleep and upon waking would act pretty incoherent. By late evening I was getting very concerned that he was once again dehydrated. I called Papa, Sweetie, and Jim about this and they were having a fit that I was struggling with this and no one was nearby to help. My options were to take him back to the ER or get a cab and take him to a grocery store to get food and drink that he would tolerate. The hotel did not have dining services. You could order out off several menus but none of them had appropriate food for Tanner’s needs.

You might recall though, that when I first posted about our trip, Brooke S. from Virginia wrote and volunteered to help me in anyway should I need her. She sent her phone and cell phone number and while I intended to bring it, I had forgotten. By this time it was nearing 10:00 PM, I was not about to call her. Papa took the decision out of my hands. First he called two of my cousins who live in New Jersey to see if they could serve as a back up plan if I needed weekend help (we were not at that point confident I would make my Thurs flight either and because it was memorial weekend I had been warned I could get stuck without a flight or hotel room if I didn’t make it out by Thurs). Papa couldn’t find Brooke’s email so he looked up a Virginia White Pages and called a number hoping it was hers. Just a few moments later Brooke called. At 10:30 PM, Brooke left her little family to come help mine:). She went to the grocery store for me and arrived at the hotel at around 11:00 PM. Brooke and I had a great time getting to know one another and chatted away until 1:00 AM. Brooke is also a preemie Mommy and both of us had been locked down for far too long this year so we both enjoyed a good long chat.

So to my friend Brooke….

Brooke,

Thank you so much for going out of your way for me. You probably did not expect to be taken up on your offer, but your compassionate heart (and that of your husband’s too)…did not hesitate to rush to my assistance when I was stuck in a foreign city with a sick child. It is a scary thing to be responsible for a little one who is sick and have no easy method to provide for their needs. Your decision to give love to our family through a late night grocery shopping trip will always be remembered. Thank you for being the hands and feet of Jesus for us. Expect a copy of that President Bush picture with Tanner and I in the mail:)!!!! Much love to you and your family…..Doni and Tanner (and Jim and Ty and most especially Papa who was quite persistent in his search for help!)